Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-07-21
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.

The SUNDAY QUESTION.
of the Lords Day-Whers tho Remedy
Chiefly Lies.
1t can not he denied that an indiffer-
ence prevails with regard to the sane
tity of the Sabbath. SO that its desecra-
ton receives less disapprcbatien than
formerly. So saturated is the very
atmosphere with lax observance.
that even those who are determined to
retain the old ways feel themselves
enerrated by the malaria; SO that they
must administer to themselves strong
tones, in order to keep braced up
against the prevalent sentiment. This
undeccurrent of Indifference. and secret
questioning of the a0hole day, leads on
to the public Dissertation. Church
members are more and more yielding
to the universal pressure One dis
tinctswe feature after another is being
oblitcrated. and we are surely tending
toward what is spoken of IS ''the Con-
tinental Sabbath
Instead of merely deploring the evil
that is upon us. or striking out some
what blindly at it the wisest course is
to epdeavor to get at the root of the
matter. For if we can discover the
origin of a widespread evil, we are
better enabled to deal with it. Valu-
able service has been rendered in this
direction by Hon. Carroll ID. Wright.
chief of the Bureau of Statistics of
Labor in Massachusetts. In the report
for the year 1885. seventy pages are
devoted to Sunday Labor. 1t is inn
possible, within the narrow limits as
signed me here. to properly present the
impressive facts brought to light; only
the results can here be indicated. And
we confne ourselves to public modes
of travel: because through them by far
the largest part of all the industries of
the State, pursued on the Sabbath. is
Systematically carried Or At first
Sunday trains were run only to COM
plete trip begun on Saturday after
noon.
Then the Sunday train was nitro
duced. After that one or two through
trains were put on. But in course OF
wears local p.sse niger trains radiated
from BostoH, which led to suburban
residences. These residents desired
to continue their connection with Bos-
ton churches. and to worship there. A
pressure was then laid on the directors
of these roads to run Sunday local
trains to accommodate the church
folks. Petitions were sent to them
signed by church members. The d.
rectors hesitated. but finally yielded to
the steadily increasing requests As
soon as these ''chUrch trains" as they
were called. were run. new move
ment of travel was developed. But if
respectable. moral and religious per-
soRs may take an excursion to church.
others think it proper for them to have
an excursion to the sea-shore. or some
other place of resort Directors soon
sought to make this travel rs remit
neratire as possible. by increasing
the number of trains and extending
the distances. And the appetite for
Sunday travel. once created. Graves in
creased indulgence. The same causes
first led to the runningOf cars on horse
railroads. The excuse rendered by
the directors is that the law declares
railroads.&c. be common carriers, and
they must be run to meet the require
ments of the public, If one road re-
fuses. another will comply. If the
superintendent declines. . struggle
would ensue. which would end in his
removal. When expostulated with.
the iavariable reply is: The public
demands it. and church members
patronize. That report further makes
evident that engineers and employees
desire to have the rest of the Sabbath
rather than the additional wages that
can be earned; also that many direct
ors would gladly discontinue Sunday
trains if they could. The same senti-
ment prevails among others who are
engaged in public industries. Milk
men say they would rejoice If Sunday
work could be dispensed with. Sc
with express companies that are COM
PEELED to deliver baggage on the Sab
bath. BARRIERS. without exception. ex-
press themselves very strongly in
favor of closing all day on Sunday.
if by any means it could be made
general, Workingmen, with few ex-
certions, desire the rest and leisure Of